The Policy and Oversight Board meeting was scheduled to discuss the council's revenue budget and medium-term financial strategy for 2026/27, alongside updates from the council's various Policy and Accountability Committees. The board was also set to review its own work programme.

2026/27 Revenue Budget and Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS)

The primary focus of the meeting was the proposed 2026/27 revenue budget and the council's Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS). The report presented outlined the overall preparation of the budget, including identified risks, measures for financial resilience, and the anticipated impact of these proposals. It also detailed the budget proposals specifically for the services falling under the remit of this committee. The report indicated that Cabinet would present their revenue budget and Council Tax proposals to Budget Council on 25 February 2026. The board was invited to comment on the budget proposals, which were set out in detail in the appendices. These appendices included risk schedules, equalities impact assessments for any proposed budget changes, and an update on any proposed changes to fees and charges.

The report highlighted that the strategic operating environment for public services remained challenging, with demand-led pressures in Adult Social Care, Children's Services, and Homelessness, compounded by the impact of Fair Funding Review 2.0 and the reset of the Business Rates Retention System from April 2026. For the first time in many years, the government had confirmed a multi-year settlement from 2026/27 to 2028/29, with Hammersmith and Fulham eligible for transitional funding relief.

The overall objectives for the 2026/27 revenue budget proposals included:

• Continuing to protect the delivery of core services valued by residents, businesses, and visitors.
• Ensuring the safety of the borough.
• Supporting prosperity across Hammersmith and Fulham.
• Promoting an exceptional, innovative, and efficient Council.
• Maintaining strong financial governance and resilience.

A balanced budget for 2026/27 was proposed, including £9.5 million of efficiencies. The budget aimed to allow for the continued delivery of services, building on the administration's record of prudential financial management and delivering modest budget surpluses in recent years. The proposed increase in Council Tax by 2.99% and the additional social care precept, equating to an increase of 92p per week for Band D properties, was intended to generate an additional £4.4 million annually to fund Council services. This was deemed essential for financial resilience, meeting increasing demand and inflation, while balancing the impact on local council taxpayers.

The report also detailed proposed savings and investments across various departments, including People, Place, Housing Solutions, Finance and Corporate Services, and Centrally Managed Budgets. Specific savings proposals relevant to the committee included reforms to the Local Support Payment Scheme and an increase in NNDR and council tax summons costs. The report also outlined proposed changes to fees and charges across different departments, with a standard inflationary uplift of 3.8% proposed for most non-commercial and non-parking fees.

Equalities Impact Assessments (EQIAs) for each budget proposal were provided, with a consolidated EQIA report to be presented to Budget Council. The report also included detailed risk assessments for the People, Place, Housing Solutions, and Finance and Corporate Services departments, outlining potential challenges and proposed mitigation strategies.

Policy and Accountability Committees' Update Report

This report provided an update on the meetings of the council's six Policy and Accountability Committees that took place in September and November 2025. The report detailed discussions and outcomes from the Children and Education PAC, Climate Change and Ecology PAC, Health and Adult Social Care PAC, Housing and Homelessness PAC, Social Inclusion and Community Safety PAC, and The Economy, Arts, Sports and Public Realm PAC.

Key discussions from these committees included:

• Children and Education PAC: Updates on the Local Safeguarding Children Partnership Annual Report, national children's social care reforms, the Local Offer Annual Report, and the Summer in the City programme.
• Climate Change and Ecology PAC: Discussions on Public Realm works procurement with new climate-focused requirements, and an update on the H&F Clean Energy Transition, including the role of heat networks and progress on the Healthy Homes initiative.
• Health and Adult Social Care PAC: Updates on the Hammersmith and Fulham Health and Care Partnership, the Safeguarding Adults Board Report, co-production work at Charing Cross Hospital, and the upcoming Drug Strategy.
• Housing and Homelessness PAC: Reports on Tenant Satisfaction Measures, highlighting improvements in resident satisfaction, and the Family Housing Strategy, focusing on increasing the availability of family-sized homes.
• Social Inclusion and Community Safety PAC: An update on policing in Hammersmith and Fulham, including discussions on data-led policing, hate crimes, and the use of Live Facial Recognition (LFR) technology.
• The Economy, Arts, Sports and Public Realm PAC: An introduction to the new Active Wellbeing Strategy, focusing on a whole-system wellbeing approach, and an overview of the Play Transformation Programme 2025-28, detailing investment in playground upgrades.

The report also included the work programmes for these committees, outlining future items for discussion.

Work Programme

The Board was scheduled to discuss future items for inclusion in its work programme. The existing work programme for 2025/26 was also presented for noting, with scheduled items including the Revenue Budget and MTFS, and PAC updates.

Dates of Future Meetings

The dates of future meetings for the Policy and Oversight Board were noted as 29 April 2026.